An update on interactive, electronic educational programmes developed for biomedical scientists and other health and science professionals across the globe.
Conceived and implemented by some of the most eminent minds in haematology, parasitology and mycology, across the world, the e-HEMATimage, e-PARASITimage and e-MYCOimage CPD programmes are education, training and development projects delivered via the pan-European, multilingual e-MEDICINimage programme.
The programmes, which focus on haematology morphology, parasitology, and mycology, respectively, were funded by the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning and Vocational training scheme, through the Leonardo Da Vinci Project.
The success of the learning ventures that the Leonardo Da Vinci project launched, projects such as e-MEDICINimage, has meant that they have become self-sustaining and continue to deliver world-class e-learning opportunities.
Reliable and robust
Because e-MEDICINimage is part of the European-funded e-learning programme, it has a reliable and robust pedigree. E-learning offers real-time and personalised solutions to CPD.
Electronic responses to user questions are rapid, standardised, and can be stored for future use. The interactive nature of e-learning also offers the possibility of championing local mentoring.
E-MEDICINimage is for all healthcare professionals (medical, technical, and biomedical), who are actively involved in the relevant fields, whether in clinical, routine laboratory, or specialised laboratory settings.
With competence assessment and accreditation status taking some of the central roles in maintaining and demonstrating compliance and transparency with and against ISO standards, e-MEDICINimage becomes an ideal CPD opportunity, or competence assessment tool, for professionals who work in the relevant disciplines. It is an educational tool that is suitable for all, from the individual embarking upon an exciting new career in pathology, to the more experienced who are providing diagnostic reports, to those who are advanced in their careers and seeking new challenges.
Upon successful registration and selection of the language, the individual is allocated with a username and password. The e-MEDICINimage topic-specific programme you have subscribed to then allows you to access cases on the internet where you can:
- read a brief patient history, presenting the circumstances in which the investigation had been ordered
- review basic laboratory test results
- look at results from supporting tests, where necessary
- examine a blood film, body fluid smear, or tissue biopsy
- perform a complete leucocyte differential, assign parasite or mycology categories to the images
- magnify images to assess fine or subtle morphological features
- split the computer screen and compare library images of similar cases
- decide on important morphological features from any and all cell lines, mycology or parasite species using easy drop-down menus
- suggest diagnoses and relevant further tests
- answer specifically set questions
- make general or personal observations
- using simple recognisable tabs, effortlessly move backwards and forwards between different aspects of the case study.
Once you have completed and submitted your findings, answers and opinions, or comments, the software gives you an immediate and automatic comparison between your question answers, your cell differential, your parasite and mycology evaluations, your diagnostic differential and your choice of further tests, and the reference answer.
You can see any differences between your answers and the reference data clearly and quickly and, identify where you might want to develop your knowledge. A complete patient history and a full explanation of the pathology are provided, by the experts who were involved with the case.
In return for your hard work, you will also get a case-by-case personal feedback email from an expert who, where appropriate, will reference and comment upon your submitted answers and provide guidance and suggestions for any further reading or case review, or clinical aspects of the case. The expert will respond in the language in which you have enrolled, ensuring there is clear communication, even around the more subtle and nuanced aspects of language and medicine. As you continue to participate, you can track and compare how well you are performing against the reference answers and also other participants. Certificates of participation are provided at the end of each season for those who have completed some or all of the cases. You can also print the images and answers using the selecting and printing function of the programme. You can access and search a vast library of haematopathological conditions, parasitic and mycological conditions and morphological features, in order to split the computer screen and compare reference images from the library to images on the case study, before you assign your current image to a category. The library images have annotated features that help you learn key aspects of morphology. From 2015 onwards, a subscription fee has been requested, either at the full rate, or in some instances at a reduced (50%) rate for the first year, although certain complete exemptions may apply.
The registration fee is dependent on a number of factors including the economic welfare of the country of residence and, also, the number of professionals requiring a group registration.
Future development
I have been part of the e-MEDICINimage programme since its inception and have seen it develop into first class and unique interactive haematology, parasitology and mycology morphology training programmes. In the coming years we will see additional image-based programmes come online for bacteriology, radiology and general diagnostics which we hope will collate data from multiple disciplines and will go on to foster cross-discipline learning and development.
From personal experience, the e-MEDICINimage programme helps develop workforce competence and confidence in haematology, parasitology and mycology morphology. With the ISO changes and inspection criteria that are being implemented across many countries, it may also provide a solution to any compliance gap analyses.
Dan Pelling is an IBMS Fellow, Chartered Scientist and Laboratory Manager at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
For more information, visit e-medicinimage.eu